Poddities iPhone 4 accessories

before iPhone, we called our trusty mobile communication device, smartphone and mobile phone (or cell phone, depending where you are from). before iPhone, it is a norm to have a strap looped to our smartphone or mobile phone through the provided tiny little hole. i had one these 'hand strap' on almost all my previous mobile phone, including my last ever windows phone, the samsung i780. ever since iPhone, hand straps (or decorative straps in some cases) has been missed, although not sorely missed. well, fret not. a Japanese company has a solution for it - a bracket screwed to the base of your iPhone 4 and it's available for both 3G & 3GS as well. when every company is rushing to design & manufacture cases/covers for iPhone 4, these guys at Poddities chose a different path and came up with a contraption to enable you to relive your...

the glif iphone 4 tripod mount & stand

this is interesting. a dedicated tripod mount & kick stand for your beloved iPhone 4. i would love to have one but then i have to do without an iPhone case, don't i? or maybe switch to slip on case instead. nevertheless, this is really an interesting project and an attractive product name. very well made video too. now, how about an iPhone hard case incorporating the glif? :) the glif is the brainchild of Thomas Gerhardt and Dan Provost. the glif was posted in kickstarter - a fund seeking website for creative projects. as at now, Tom and Dan has achieved more than what they have asked for but i think innovative ideas deserve continual support.

show your support for the glif here.

visit the glif website.

LaCie 324i LCD monitor

when it comes to LCD display, consumers are spoilt for choice. here's another one (professional-grade) display for you to consider. spotting a 24", 10-bit P-IPS (professional In-Plane switching) LCD panel which is capable of dispersing 1.07 billion colors, color accuracy of 102% NTSC and 98% AdobeRGB, anti-glare panel with 178DEG viewing angle and 1000:1 contrast ratio. display specs aside, the monitor comes with a multi-functional stand which enables it to tilt, turn, adjust the display's height, turn it into portrait mode and did i mention that it has a cable manager as well? these days, what is a display monitor if doesn't comes with a department called 'connectivity'? even LCD TV are getting connectivity today. the 324i certainly has this department well stocked: connectivity 3-port USB 2.0 hub, 3.5mm mini-jack, component A/V (RCA), HDMI, display port, DVI-D. if you have $1,249.99 to spare and has a discerning eye (or eyes) for color, this might be the display for you. my only question is, why USB 2.0?

visit LaCie website.

product: simplism silicon iphone 4 case

(photo source: mikeshouts.com)

a design in Japan iPhone 4 case. this is a silicon case which has anti-dust coating, which is important because typical silicon cases tend to be a dust magnet. the package comes with the silicon case, screen protector (with leveler), microfiber cleaning cloth and a dock cover. the dock cover lets you cover the dock of your iPhone to keep out the dust - a rather nice touch, actually. there's a little loop with the dock cover which allows user to loop through a twin hole at the back of the silicon case. in this way, you wouldn't loose your tiny dock cover. sweet :)

quality is good but it's not the kind of tight fit you expect of a silicon cover/case. when fitted, the phone still has a tiny bit of space. just a little, which i think shouldn't be a cause for alarm. you can feel it (the space) when u press lightly on the sides of the phone fitted with the silicon case. despite this, the phone doesn't move around when in the case. there are cut-outs for the control buttons but not for the volume rocker and the power button, which are in the form of raised silicon buttons indicating their presence. even without the cut-out for those 2 sets of buttons, their usability isn't compromised in anyway. the simplism silicon case is available in 5 colors.

visit simplism

product: LEGO motorized iPad stand

if you a LEGO fan + iPad user or a 'LEGPLE' fan (aka LEGO + APPLE fan), then you will be just about as excited as me about this custom LEGO motorized iPad stand. how cool is that? and it is stepless meaning it can be at any position you want. want one? if you are adventurous enough, you can build one yourself using parts from the '8052 LEGO container truck' set, else you have to wait for the instruction to be made available. i chose the latter ;)

visit www.legostand.com for more information.

accessories: finally DODOcase has arrived!

finally got my made-by-hand DODOcase for my ipad. there's not much packaging to talk about but the highlight is the product itself. the quality of the case is impeccable. i like the idea of bamboo material for the frame where the ipad seats. of course the foam pieces securing the ipad seems a little risky but i just couldn't get over how cool this ipad case looks. it is hard to make justification over a pic, you got to see it for yourself. i also like the idea of 'cut-out' portions for access to the volume rocker, power button et cetera, which allow easy access. when i say easy, i really mean EASY. previously, with my apple ipad case, it is rather awkward trying to adjust the volume cos' the case makes the volume rocker become 'recessed'. this can be rather irritating sometime. the ipad is held in place by the foam pieces at the four corners, which allow easy maintenance of the screen. i am not sure about other user, but having the ipad slides into a 'pocket-like' case, means having a border around the ipad which dust tends to accumulate within. i hate the dust trapping function so i am relieve to be using the DODOcase right now. overall i am really satisfied with the DODOcase. at least, until a better case comes up ;)

product: Apple Magic Trackpad

(photo source: apple.com)

love your multitouch trackpad on your unibody macbook? now you can do just that with your iMac with this huge magic trackpad. the magic trackpad enables you to scroll, click, swipe and rotate with your fingers, just like what you will do on your macbook. all this while i have been thinking 'why no one come with trackpad for desktop?'. looks like it's a dream come true. along with the magic trackpad, Apple also announced the new line of iMac running on i3, i5 and i7 processors. screen sizes are still 27 inches and 21.5 inches.

visit Apple website.

product: LaCie XtremKey all-terrain USB Flash drive

(photo source: Lacie.com)

i want one! i am just such a big-time sucker for well-design stuff, especially tech-related items. this futuristic (& minimalist) looking flash drive definitely had me in a sec. for those who are constantly paranoid about crushing your flash drive, this could just end your problem. tech spec aside, which will pretty much the same for most flash drive, the XtremeKey will withstand the pressure of a 10-ton truck, resistance to 5 meter drops, watertight up to 100 meters and withstand extreme temperatures. so no more worry of important blueprints getting crush by your construction trucks or accidentally dropping your key into the deep blue sea while doing your important marine life research.

visit LaCie website.

product: hardcandy chrome bubble for iPhone4

(photo source: hardcandy.com)

iPhone4 has yet to hit Singapore's shore until this weekend but stores are already selling their cases. this one is a pretty new item from hardcandy. pretty sleek looking but no doubt it is going to be a finger print magnet. i saw the actual item, pretty cool indeed.

visit hardcandy website.

product: iLuv foldable leather case for iPad

(photo source: mikeshouts)

this is really worthly of a mention. the foldable leather case for iPad by iLuv. i haven't been bringing my iPad out more than a few steps out of my room, because i felt 'exposed' with any protection. while waiting patiently for DODOcase to arrive, this iLuv product will have to do for the next 5-6 weeks. and it cost only S$57.90 (approx. US$42.40).

check out the iLuv website.

product: DODOcase Made by Hand iPad case

(photo source: DODOcase.com)

searching the net for a cool looking iPad case lands me at DODOcase. the case, known as the limited first edition DODOcase, is made by hand in San Francisco, California. being a big-time sucker for style + design, i know i gotta have one of this for my iPad.

with the influx of iPad cases in the market, this definitely stands out among the crowd. google around or pop-by any of your local stores, and you will know what i mean. after dizzying yourself out with the endless choices (of cases) in the market, you will begin to think that majority of them looks the same. DODOcase cost US$59.90 plus shipping and it takes 5-6 weeks for delivery. quite a wait but hey, it is afterall hand-made and we certainly don't want to compromise the quality by rushing the craftsman.

visit DODOcase website.

gadgets: ONKYO UP-A1 iPod/iPhone dock

when i bought the ONKYO TX-SR507 AV receiver and i knew i would need an iPod dock, if they have any. i chanced upon this sweet little dock on the Official ONKYO website and have been trying to get my hands on it. months later, i found out its availability in Singapore and i wasted no time in getting it. got it from Harvey Norman Singapore @ Funan Digital Lifestyle Mall for less than 100 bucks. i hardly want to talk about build quality but it is good. the unit comes in shiny piano black. frankly, that's a potential fingerprints magnet but then again, we hardly neat to touch the unit after setting it out. the unit connects to the ONKYO AV receiver via 1.5m long cable with a universal port connector. the dock itself has a little round 'button' where you can adjust to suit the different iPods or iPhone you are going to dock with. nice touch.

this unit does support visual interface & supports video playback up to 1080i (known as the extended mode) and photo slides but only on higher series of ONKYO AV receiver, therefore, i can't comment on the user interface. the beauty of this unit is that it allows user to do basic music control of their iPod/iPhone via the stock ONKYO remote. functions such as scrolling through the albums, forward, next, play et cetera. the lack of interface support for lower end AV receiver can be a minus point. from a far, without visual, users can't see the songs when scrolling though the menus and songs list. we all know how tiny the iPod screen can be. for those who has the ONKYO SR507 AV receiver might want to reconsider this option, if you desperately need to have a interface. i ended up squatting in front of the unit to do the selection. so much for remote control, huh?

this unit is compatible with most iPod models except for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd generations iPods. there's not much installation to talk about. 'installation' is basically plugging in the universal connector to the universal port at the rear of the compatible ONKYO AV receiver - so there you go, the true meaning of 'plug & play'. usage is simple. just dock your iPod or iPhone and switch your AV receiver to 'Port' and you are ready to savor those music jammed in your iPod or iPhone. when docked, the cradle also charges your iPod or iPhone. neat huh? this plug-play-&-charge at the same time is already kind of a must-have feature in all dock/cradle. As mentioned earlier, this dock does not work with all ONKYO AV receivers. The manual indicated TX-SR507, TX-SR577, TX-SR607 or later models. so those hunting for one of these do take note, and remember if you are those who cannot live with visual, then i would suggest you give this a miss.

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gadgets: reviewed

JBL Radial - ipod speaker

i have just acquired a iPod speaker, the JBL radial (white). first off, i need to clarify, this piece of gadget is without doubt an 'extra' in my life. i mean, i hardly listen to music unless i m glued to the comp. anyway, i thought i did gave it a try. upon opening the package, my first impression was the quality is top notch but ain't perfect. on the physical aspect, the Radial is round and when it had a 'radial' shape grill, it ain't going to be perfect. trust me. under the shade of the light, you can actually detect some 'wave' here & there over the speaker grill but i certainly don't have an issue with that. how often do i stare at it? i bet i will be listening more than appreciating its physical beauty. i wasn't intending to get a white-colour set but i guess i have too much of black amongst my gadgets & furniture. you know, black HD-DVD player, black PS3, black CPU, dark wood cabinet et cetera. also considering the fact that i will be placing the Radial on a dark wood bench, i thought white was the way to go. well what can i say, as far as colour goes, no regrets. partly due to the fact my Ipod Classic is silver in colour, kinda of matched up between the two of them.

the package comes with the speaker cum docking station which charges your iPod as well. i think most of us knew that part already. now comes the thought part: the package comes with several iPod dock adapters to cater for the different iPods and it came with 2 sets of wire, one with 2 pin plug and another 3 pin plug. though its a small detail, but hey, at least you got a choice. isn't it? setting up was pretty straight forward and could be easily done in a couple of minutes. once set up, i proceed to dock my iPod Classic onto the JBL Radial and fired up the Radial. I tested with music from SHINE - The Complete Classics. Its a classical collections with mixed of classic opera vocals. i am no audiophile freak, and i don't have superhuman ears either but frankly speaking, what comes out from the under that curved grill, was music to my ears. the music was clear and wide, easily filling up my 25 square.metre living room with well-balanced classical music. i guess it could be better, in terms of placement of the Radial. i placed my Radial on a dark wood overhanging beach, bench material is laminated wood chipboards. the Radial is placed approximately 100mm to 120mm away from the concrete wall. No corners except for the length where the bench hangs on the wall. i had the Radial tilted about 20DEG clockwise, facing the sofa where i would normally sit when i read, and of course now, savouring the music churned out by my lovely iPod via the Radial.

did i forgot to mention that it came with a 2-way remote? its just a simple 6-buttons remote and of the 6 button, in which 4 of the buttons are dual functions, depending on what mode the remote is on. the mode-button switch the volume and skip-track buttons to menu mode where you can scroll through your iPod menu and make the desired selection. i m not sure of remote range, but good range is only good for volume control, or maybe skipping of tracks. if you are thinking of scrolling thru the menu from a distance, sure no probs... just make sure you can see what you are scrolling from a distance. ok, i admit, not only do i not have superhuman ears, i don't have bionic eyes either. the Radial is about 5 feet away from where i sitted and i can't see what's on the screen on the iPod when i attempt to scroll to the playlist. but of course that's not a big issue either, but just some observation.

i am satisfied with my new acquisition, no regrets. in fact, the JBL Radial didn't came up as my first choice for iPod speaker. it was the BOSE Sounddock Digital Music System but after doing some 'research' i decided to go for the Radial. it may not appeal to audiophile buff, but for something with such a tiny footprint, and size for that matter, it has more than proven itself to me. price aside. this is definitely worth considering if you are out looking for an iPod speaker.

gadget accessories: reviewed

Moshi ClearGuard Keyboard Protector

with a lifestyle computing product introduced, there are bound to have tons of accessories flooding in. accessories ranging from protection for your gadgets to customization for an unique look.

i am MacBook user now (damn! the iPhone really converted me! well, partially - cos' i'm still waiting eagerly for Windows 7), so naturally i will be out hunting for accessories to protect my investment. hitting our local forums, i chanced upon a thread about the Moshi ClearGuard Keyboard Protector (U$20). it was another love at the first sight - yes, i know. i have many love-at-first-sight encounters. the specs, and the pics where simply tantalizing. i have to have one! not just yet, as it was a 'coming soon' product (er, that was last month) and i waited patiently, like a hungry lion waiting to pound on its prey. anyway, i jumped at it once it was available last month. i made order via AEVOE UNIVERSE, which carries Moshi products. it took a while for it reach Singapore and it sure did today - i was thrilled. trembling while i opened the package to reveal the what-could-be the elite of keyboard protector.

the package arrived neatly and extremely safely packed. the product packaging is a standard flair from Moshi and detail to the inner packaging is excellent. i'll just cut to the chase, because i can't wait to talk about this wonderful new product!

the ClearGuard make is really nice and has a good feel to it. the ClearGuard is made of durable, non-toxic engineering-grade thermoplastic urethane of only 0.1mm in thickness. when fitted to the macbook, you bearly feel it is there. while that's a good thing, the ClearGuard doesn't 'stick' or 'stay down' to the keyboard like most silicon protector does (mind you, the silicon stuff are heavier), which some user may accidentally "pull off" while typing furiously, i know it, cos' i did!

unlike the commonly available heavier (read: thicker) silicon protector in the market right now, the super light weight of the ClearGuard could be potential downside as it could be easily blown away if use under strong wind condition. i am an outdoor person, therefore i often use the macbook outdoor and i simply cannot leave the macbook with the ClearGuard on without watching over it, or should 'without my hands on it'? strong wind will threaten to sweep it away from the MacBook. i guess this scenario will be same under artificial wind condition such as fans. one of the 'key feature' of this product is the transparency of the material. if you have a backlit keyboard, the clarity of the ClearGuard allows the backlit to show-off its full glory, which you won't get see with the typical silicon keyboard protector (which are normally translucent)

typing with the ClearGuard is without any hindrance, i am more 'in touch' with my keys now as compared to my former silicon item. being new, i do noticed a faint odor from ClearGuard, a kind of 'plasticky smell'. i wonder if it is normal? could it be due to the reaction to the heat generated from the MacBook? or is it because its new? that brings me to another concern: will this thin film able to withstand the heat generated by the MacBook after prolong use? keeping in mind that part of the heat generated from the macbook 'escapes' via the gaps under these keys. attention to details are what Moshi product is about. the small and discrete Moshi brand name/logo imprinted on the space bar part of the ClearGuard is certainly a nice touch. sweet.

as for durability, we will have to wait and see. we shall let the time and usage be the judge. my former silicon-type was a pure dust magnet, and really sucky after a couple of months of use. i certainly hope this ClearGuard will perform better.

Overall, the finishes and quality of the Moshi ClearGuard is befitting for the cool MacBook!

gelaskins - art skins for ipod classic
i came across this item in April 08 issue of STUFF Singapore and wasted no time in getting one from gelaskins online store (http://www.gelaskins.com/). the item was shipped from canada after a few days after my order confirmation, which took only 5 days to reach singapore - in standard airmail. which is about the only option for international shipping.

the skins came in a hard envelope with 'do not bend' indicated on the package - which hopefully, the postal people will heed and not delibrately bend the package. luckily, mine arrived without damages or bends. the skins is packaged in a clear plastic sleeves - which on the surface looks rather harmless but it is not. the clear sleeves has an adhesive opening on its lip and thus pose quite a problem for me when i was retrieving the skins out of it. the adhesive tends to stick to the skin if you're not careful enough and thus leaving a little stain on the beautiful skins. luckily, the stain is removable after some patience cleaning with soft tissue paper.

i am impressed by the quality of the skins. the material used feels a little rubber-like and of reasonable thickness. i wasted no time and get it to apply on my ipod classic right away. needless to say, the first step is to clean the ipod with a soft cloth. i use a brand new lcd screen cloth for this job. i proceed with the application of the back skin first. it took quite a while for me to finally got the skin to sit perfectly. the gelaskins can be reposition until you are satisfied so there's little worry that you will not get it right. there's always a second chance. the back application was less pain as compared to the front which requires extreme patience in for the application mainly due to the precise screen opening and the click wheel part. first left the click wheel part for the last and proceed with the application of the main front screen which took me more than 10 mins. it was a pain to align the screen and desperately trying keep the application as perfect as possible.

when i finally done with the application, i notice that the front skin is not as perfect in terms of fitting. as you can see from the photos, there are some visible silver from my ipod at the edge of the screen. i guess it will be less obvious if my ipod is black instead of silver. the skin does not sacrifice the click wheel sensitiveness. in fact, it felt better compared to my former skin jacket. i also tested the fit on the JBL radial to make sure there isn't any issue of fit after applying the skin. i guess for approximately USD15 excluding shipping, it is not exactly cheap to accessorize your ipod but i like the fact that it let's you individualized your ipods. not only that, gelaskins also have skins for other range of ipods, portable gaming device and laptops.

beyza slimline leather case
first impression: sleek look and high-quality look. a feel-good small leather goods for your precious samsung SCH-i780 or blackjack II.

just got the beyza slimline leather case last saturday from our local retailer. i must say it is a purchase that i feel particularly good. this beyza product is made of full grain cowhide and color was introduced via the drum-dyed process. i won't regurgitate what beyza has claimed about their products which you can read here.

the interior of the leather case is made with suede materials which gives the phone some protection against scratches. As with all leather product, the case feels a little 'stiff' and hard to insert the phone in. gosh, i thought i bought the wrong case! but after a few days of usage, the phone fit snugly, easily insert and retrieve. one worthly note is the case doesn't really cover phone entirely (as you can see from the photo - the phone protrudes about an millimeter out. Due to the snug fit and internal suede material, it gives the phone a wiping effect i.e. its cleans the phone! no 100% but it does make the phone look cleaner whenever i take out the phone from the case.

i m no leather goods expert or specialist, but as far as i am concerned, the craftsmanship - in terms of cuts and stitching are reasonably good. definitely not those hand-stitch quality though.

overall, this a neat, quality leather case for the i780. however, price-wise, this case is on a the high-side. the beyza slimline leather case cost SGD59.95 but you certainly get what you pay for.

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